In WashingtonTour bus crashes near White House, injuring...

National Digest

Nine people were injured yesterday a half-mile from the White House in a tour bus accident that involved an armored truck and three cars, said a District of Columbia Fire Department official.

None of the injuries is believed to be life-threatening, said Battalion Chief William Mould. He said witnesses pulled the seven people on the bus out before the propane-powered vehicle burst into flames.

The small wood and Fiberglas vehicle collided with a car in northwest Washington before striking a stopped armored car and two parked vehicles.

Government recalls Next Generation cribs

The government announced the recall of more than 6,000 Next Generation Pisces Cribs yesterday. Slats on the headboards and footboards could come loose, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

Generation 2 Worldwide, a Dothan, Ala., manufacturer, has received 12 reports of loose slats. The cribs involved in the recall are model number 67-8100. They were manufactured between March 4, 1997, and March 10, 1998. For information, call Generation 2 at 800-736-1140, ext. 224.

61 law enforcement deaths in '98 marks drop from '97

Sixty-one law enforcement officers were killed on duty in the United States during 1998, a decline of almost 13 percent from the previous year, the FBI reported yesterday.

Releasing preliminary figures for 1998, the FBI said nine fewer officers were slain at work last year than the 70 killed in 1997. The drop is consistent with a nationwide decline in all types of crime since the mid-1990s.

In the Nation

White supremacist gets life term in slaying of family

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- A white supremacist was sentenced to life in prison without parole yesterday for killing an Arkansas family as part of a scheme to overthrow the federal government and set up a whites-only nation.

Defense lawyers said they would appeal Chevie Kehoe's conviction and sentence, but said they were satisfied he wasn't sentenced to death.

Tobacco companies cleared in deaths of three smokers

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Three of the nation's largest tobacco companies were cleared of liability yesterday in the deaths of three smokers whose families claimed the companies and their cigarettes were responsible.

The Shelby County Circuit Court jury returned its verdict during the fourth day of deliberations in the case against Philip Morris Inc., R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp.

Juror Carrie Jester likened smoking to alcoholism. "We know it's bad for you, but we make a decision to drink. It's the same with smoking. We know it's bad for us."

Man charged with providing pistol to Columbine shooters

GOLDEN, Colo. -- A 22-year-old man was charged yesterday with providing a pistol to students who used it in the Columbine High School massacre.

Mark Manes, a computer programmer, said nothing during the court hearing in which he was charged with providing a handgun to a minor. The felony carries a maximum six-year sentence. He remained free on bail.

A former Columbine student, Manes has admitted selling the semiautomatic TEC DC-9 to Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, who used it in the attack that left 15 dead, including themselves.

Amy Fisher freed after 7-year prison term

ALBION, N.Y. -- Amy Fisher walked out of prison yesterday after serving nearly seven years for shooting her lover's wife in the head in a case that once dominated tabloid headlines.

Fisher wore sunglasses, kept her head bowed and did not answer questions as she walked past reporters and photographers outside the Albion Correctional Facility. She was accompanied by her mother and attorney Bruce Barket.

Miranda Smith, 21, also was fined $500, placed on probation for one year and ordered to attend an anger-management class. She had pleaded guilty to assault.

The Dec. 2 surveillance video from the Hudson's department store showed her step behind the sales counter, push the clerk, throw her to the ground and swing at her head. Police said Smith had been frustrated by what she perceived as poor service.

New York's 911 system fails for fourth time this year

NEW YORK -- New York City's 911 emergency response system failed yesterday for the fourth time this year, with callers experiencing delays of up to 30 second before getting an operator.

The breakdowns -- including one in January, during which a man requiring medical aid died of a heart attack -- have left city officials and Bell Atlantic pointing fingers and fumbling for answers. No one can say precisely what's gone wrong or guarantee the $200 million system maintained by the phone company won't fail again.